Current collector for toy locomotives



u y 1933- J. L.-BONANNO I 1,918,795

CURRENT COLLECTOR FOR TOY LOCOMOTIVES Filed Aug 27, 1931 7.1 4 f A} 5 234/ 4 525 5 E7 /7 24 J 5 INVENTOR Joseph L.Donanno 5 BY ATTORNEY PatentedJuly 18, 1933 UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE? JOSEPH L. BONANNO, FORESTHILLS, YORK, ASSIGNOR TO. THE LIONEL COR- PO ATION, on NEW YORK, n. Y.,

A CORPORATION or new YORK CURRENT COLLECTOR non TOY LOCDMOTiVESApplication filed August 27, 1931. Serial No. 559,609.

The lugs 16 enter the holes 15 andholdthe The present invention relatesto current collectors and cont-emplates a simply constructed,inexpensive current collector designed for toy locomotives.-

.5 The present invention contemplates a current collector for thispurpose made outof two simple stampings, one of insulating material andone of sheet metal, such as phosphor bronze. The metal stamping issecured to the insulating strip and the parts have such configuration astohold the conducting strip in place and yet permit it to flex so as-tbear yieldingly on the rail. 7

The invention also contemplates the provision of a wire fastening clipwhich forms a part of the conducting strip.

The accompanying drawing shows, for purposes of illustrating the presentinvention one of the many embodiments in which the invention may takeform, it being understood that the drawing is illustrative of theinvention rather than limiting the same. In

the drawing:

Fig. 1 is aside elevational view of a propulsion unit of a toylocomotive showing the same resting on. a toy track;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the propulsion unit with the wheelsremoved;

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the ourrent collector showing itremoved from the locomotive;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the same; and V Fig. 5 is afragmentary view of the frame 35 plate.

The toy locomotive may be of the usual construction and is provided witha motor '(not shown) for operating a pinion indicated at 10. This pinionis carried in bearings formed in side plates 11 and 12. It drives a gearindicated at 13 which meshes in the usual manner with gear teeth (notshown) carriedon the inner face of the locomotive driving wheels 14. Theframe plates 11 and 12 are provided with three openings 15 adjacent thelower edges thereof as indicated in Fig. 5 and these openings areadapted to receive laterally extending lugs 16 formed in a fibrestamping 17 The width of this stamping equals the spacing of the'sideplates.

insulating stamping in position.

A conducting strip for the current collector is in the form of a strip18 of phosphor bronze secured to the insulating stamping by a singlerivet or eyelet indicated at 19. One end of the conducting strip 18extends to the right, as indicated in the drawing, passes downwardlythrough a notch 20, and is bent underneath the insulating strip asindicated at 21. The extreme end of the stamping is in the form of aprong 22 apertured at 23. This prong extends up through an opening 24 inthe insulatingstrip and through an opening 25 in the conducting strip.It is adapted to receive a wire 26 as indicated so as to provide a clipfor securing a motor lead to the current collector. The strip 18 alsoextends to the left, as shown in the drawing, and is provided with aU-sha ed bent portion 27 which extends downwardly through an aperture 28and upwardly through a second aperture 29 of the insulating member.These apertures are separated by a bridging strip 30 and the extreme endof the conducting strip rests on the insulating strip, as indicated at31.

The insulating strip and conductor strip are secured together to form asubunit such as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and are inserted between frameplates during the assembly of the motor. In order that the currentcollector shall be placed in the proper position in the locomotive, thelugs and notches may be made asymmetrical, as indicated by the longerlugs and larger holes at the left.

When the locomotive is in use, the depressed portion 27 of theconducting strip is yieldingly pressed downwardly against the rail. Itissecurely held in place by reason of the overhanging end 31 and thebridging member 30 limits its upward movement.

It is obvious that the invention may be embodied in many forms andconstructions and I wish it to be understood that the particular formshown is but one of the many forms. Various modifications and changesbeing possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respectthereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A current collector for toyelectric locomotives comprising a strip ofinsulating material apertured near one end and a resilient strip ofconducting material bent to a U- shape near one end and secured at itsother end to the end of the insulating strip remote from the aperture,the U-shaped bent portion being carried in the aperture.

2. A current collector for toy electric locomotives comprising ahorizontally disposed insulating support, a resilient conducting stripcarried along the upper face of the support and secured to one endthereof, the strip being bent downwardly near the other end to passthrough an aperture in the other end of the support and bent upwardly atthe end to engage the upper surface of the support.

3. A current collector for toy electric loco motives comprising a longstrip of insulating material having two apertures near one end separatedby a bridging member, and a resilient sheet metal strip narrower thanthe insulating strip secured at one end to the upper face of theinsulating strip and bent near its free end to pass through theapertures, and underneath the bridging member.

4. A current collector for toy electric locomotives comprising a longstrip of insulating material having adjacent one end two aperturesdisposed lengthwise of the strip and separated by a bridgingmember, anda conducting strip of resilient material with its flat face against theupper surface of the insulating strip and having a U-shaped portionextending through the apertures and spaced below the bridging member,theother end of the insulating strip having a notch of the width of theconducting strips and into which the said strip extends, and a rivetadjacent the latter mentioned'end of the insulating strip for securingthe strips together.

5. A current collector for toy electric locomotives comprising a longstrip of insulating material having adjacent one end two aper turesdisposed lengthwise of the strip and separated by a bridging member, anda conducting strip of resilient material with its flat face against theupper surface of the insulating strip and having a U-shaped portionextending through the apertures and spaced below the bridging membcr,theother end of the conducting strip being folded to pass about the otherend of-the insulating strip and having an apertured tip extendingupwardly through the insulating and conducting strips to provide a wiregrip, and a rivet for securing the body of the conducting strip to theinsulating strip.

6. In a toy electric locomotive, a current collector and wire connectorcomprising an insulating strip fixedly carried by the loco motive and aresilient conducting strip secured to the upper sidethereof, one end ofthe conducting strip being below the insulating strip to form acollector shoe, the other end of the conducting strip being bent to forma resilient wire clip, the configuration of the strips beingsuch thatthe conducting strip is held against lateral movement but allowed alimited amount of up and down movement.

JOSEPH L. BONANNO.

